Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-21
THE SACRAMENTO SENSATION,
of the Charges of
Falk,s Cr0okedness.

Special Dispatch to the HERALD.
SACRAMENTO, February 20.--Th
sensation of the session is the testimon,
OF j. Smith, second clerk at the desk
before the special commissioner of tn,
Assembly to examine into the charge.
against Ray J. Falk. The development
were unexpectedly sensational, involv
ing members of both bodies and others
Smith made clean breast of the darl
ways of legislation, "squealing" on ever,
body without the least discrimination
Frank j. Brandon swore that he saw NJ
bills actually changed. He knew tina
leaves were cut out and Smith discover
ed it. 1t would have changed many
bills, and he saw Falk at the desk
handling the file. He was cutting ou
aud changing it. He had q knife in his
hand and was using it as he stood at the
file. He had a mucilage brush in his
hand. II think he had piece OF paper
in his hand also. do not think any
one else touched the file."
EVIDENCE AGAINST FALK
Is clear aud conclusive and leaves the
committee no alternative but to report
against him. The next witness was
smith, who is now the lion of the ses.
sion. He produced the mutilated sheets
and showed how the cutting would have
advanced the bills on the file. He said
tLos .,,ha,, bo d:sooyaraJ th,t tho 81 l.
was mutilated be reported tho fact to
Clerk Ryan and to Speaker Jordan. He
testified that he found the whole file
wrong and torn up, aud that he made o
new one. He said that
OFFERS OF MONEY
Had been made to him to change bills
on the file. He had always reported
the offers to Ryan, and had invariably
refused to make such changes. He had
been offered money nearly every day.
Some days three or four offers had been
made to him. The highest sum ever of.
fered him was $500. Assemblymen and
Senators both had offered him money,
and tried to corrupt him. Tney said 10
him that his office was the only one at
the desk at which any money could be
made, and that he might as well leave
with $500 as to go home broke. He
ventilated the
CORRUPT PRACTICES
OF legislation generally, and showed
how clerks could rake themselves use.
full for a consideration. The interesting
portion OF his testimony was as follows:
"Well. to tell you the truth. when l
was first approached on this bill | went
to Hart, of Colusa, and asked him if he
would protect me if I made the change
and should be found out. Hart re.
piled promptly, No, sir; would not.
l DO not want anything to do with any
such business. | want the bill con-
sidered Oh its merits, and do not wish il
to pass in any other way. No dishon.
orable means shall be used with my con.
sent" Smith continued, 81 did not in.
tend to do it, and only said I would te
get rid of the party who had first ap
proached me. I said it only as a bluff
The next day I was
APPROACHED A.kaIN
| By the same man, who said, You did
II 1t do that 1 said, mo, it must b.
some mistake of the printer, will do il
to, morrow l got Frank Ryan to &C
with me to the State Printing office sc
that he could see that no changes were
made. He went with me, and so did
Mr.. Bruck." Smith then showed why
he had gone to Hart, of Colusa, to sound
him on the proposition.
KNOX. OF LOS ANGELES.
He said, came to him to learn what he
knew concerning corrupt uses to pass
the bill. He said Knox wanted to know
SO that he could use the knowledge to
defeat the bill. 1t was to get Knox
the information that he went to Hart.
Smith then repeated the statement that
promises of money had been made to
him if he would advance the Glenn
county bill upon the file. He said that
he had also been assured that if his asso.
ciate clerks should discover him and
threaten his exposure they should
ALSO BE "FIxED"-
That is, receive Doodle. Smith said that
last year he was offered $1,000 to change
the word cor" to land" in a bill. He
declined to do it. but came very near
doing it. That offer, he said, was made
to him by prominent State official who
is still in Office, but whose term of ap.
pointment will expire in about two
mouths. The name was not revealed.
Smith then proceeded to say that at this
session he was offered $500 to drop Tay.
lor's Insurance bill from the file alto.
gether. This bill was introduced at the
instance Of the Insurance Commissioners
and simply makes some verbal changes,
so as to harmonize with the code.
When Mr.. Ellsworth asked, "Who made
you this offer?"
EWING OF SAN FRANCISCO
Objected. 1t was decided that the wit
ness should answer the question. Ewing
insisted that the reporter and others
should be driven out. The question was
submitted to vote, and Ellsworth alone
stuck out against the star. chamber pro.
ceedings. Ewing and Woods voting
against more light. The committee at
this point went into executive session,
Tonight Smith was threatened.
WITH PERSONAL VIOLENCE
A'y ouChiCJs al iiiphS9eSU oou iiou
cisco lawyer. Smith was protected by
his friends.
The Committee on the Falk Investi
cation will meet again in the morning,
when Smith proposes to unhosom him.
self. His revelations threaten to
INVOLVE TWO SENATOR'S,
Pindar and Mofitt, and number ol
Assemblymen. Smiths evidence has
been fortified by letters from the mer
whom he has implicated. He will on
to. morrow make further revelations in
volvipg members, lobbyists and attor
neys. whose corrupting efforts he will
also prove by their own handwriting,
The investigation will take wide scope
and will prove the sensation OF the ses
sion. 1t may lead to one Or more i'm
peachments,
| Inviting Immigration.
ANDERSON, February 20.-The Hor
ticultural Association of Southern
/ .al ,IDx,